Gerhard Struber has a decision to make between Barnsley FC and New York

It will be a long season for Barnsley unless they bring in another striker or two. How they need their goal-scoring blues to start melting away.

Gerhard Struber knows it, although quite whether the target of New York Red Bulls will be there to try and do something about it, well that it is another thing entirely.

The 43-year-old – who clearly has things on his mind judging by his last two press conferences and not just Barnsley’s labours in front of goal – is the person who the MLS franchise have turned to with some reports in his native Austria suggesting the deal is signed and sealed.

Struber was coy on that particular topic after the game but clearly has some thinking to do.

If this was his farewell, as many suspect, it was a tame one. About as far removed from last season’s drama at Brentford as it gets.

Another thing is for sure, whoever is in charge of Barnsley going forward, their issues in front of goal have to be rectified fast.

The amber warning lights that were flashing in that regard have turned to red.

In seven of their last 11 league games at Oakwell, Barnsley have failed to score – even accounting for a commendable six clean sheets in that spell.

They have scored just twice in the first half of Championship games at home since Christmas.

Conor Chaplin has scored once in the league since February 22, while Cauley Woodrow’s last league goal was before lockdown on February 26.

Woodrow – the feature of a candid interview in the match-day programme when he spoke about the stick which he has received from some fans in regard to his barren streak – could not be faulted in his work ethic to try and do something about that.

But how he would benefit by having someone with physicality alongside him to free him up and take away the backpack on his shoulders, which is currently weighted down with boulders.

“Cauley, come on” belted out Struber with regularity in the second half to provide encouragement. Woodrow was on message with his response, but his radar was off.

He fired one effort into the deserted Pontefract Road end – which pointed to a lack of confidence and trying too hard – and hit another effort into the side-netting. He persevered and saw a late low shot grasped by Marko Marosi. Woodrow needs a break and needs help.

At the other end, another shut-out was better received – more especially after Wednesday’s mauling at Stamford Bridge.

It rounded off a funny old week for the club and certainly Mads Andersen, back in the side after his dismissal at Reading and nice and solid in keeping with his post-lockdown form in the main.

On those issues up top, the Dane retains confidence that things will change. Whereas some may not be optimistic, he most definitely is.

“We will score for sure, I have 100 per cent trust in my team-mates, so don’t worry,” he said.

“They are working hard every day and doing extras. So the goal will come, I am 100 per cent sure.

“It was a difficult game and we made formation changes and it went a lot better. I still think we should have taken more control of the game, but, overall, we have one point and the season ahead of us. We are always happy about the clean sheet.

“I am happy about my form and keep working hard and doing my thing. Last week was frustrating, but that is football.”

As for the prospect of Struber leaving, he added: “To be honest, I do not know so much about it, so I’d rather not comment. He has been very good for my career.

“He comes with a lot of energy for us in the game and it is very important for us.”

The energy and conviction was in very limited supply in the first half on Saturday. It was a chilly autumnal day with a biting wind and there was cold comfort as Barnsley’s forays forward broke down with frustrating regularity.

The other constant was the continual barking out of orders from young goalkeeper Jack Walton, someone clearly not lacking in confidence and it was an afternoon when he had little to do either.

Unfortunately, neither did his opposite number, former Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper Marosi.

Walton was rooted to his spot when a thumping header from Leo Ostigard cracked against the woodwork on 16 minutes from Gustavo Hamer’s corner. It was the closest that either side came to a goal by a country mile.

Barnsley’s front three of Woodrow, Conor Chaplin and Luke Thomas switched around, but did not bother Coventry.

Neat and tidy, it was City – seeking their first second-tier away victory at since winning at Hull in March, 2012 – who were entitled to be the happier at the break and there was the nagging feeling that they would nick one chance in the second half and do a number on Barnsley just as Luton had done a fortnight earlier.

Fortunately, for them, Struber saw the signs and switched things and it was better.

After his headed chance against Luton, substitute Dominic Frieser was off beam with another opportunity. Captain Alex Mowatt and another replacement in Elliot Simoes also fired presentable chances wide.

The effort was there, but not the quality, sadly as the wait for Barnsley’s first league goal of the 2020-21 campaign goes on.

The final whistle later went and folk drifted off into the night. So, quite possibly, so does Struber.

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James Mitchinson